Device identification scoring

ABSTRACT

Device identification scoring systems and methods may be provided that can increase the reliability and security of communications between devices and service providers. Users may select and configure additional identification factors that are unique and convenient for them. These factors, along with additional environmental variables, feed into a trust score computation that weights the trustworthiness of the device context requesting communication with a service provider. Service providers rely on the trust score rather than enforce a specific identification routine themselves. A combination of identification factors selected by the user can be aggregated together to produce a trust score high enough to gain access to a given online service provider. A threshold of identification risk may be required to access a service or account provided by the online service provider.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/882,884, filed on Sep. 26, 2013. The entire teachings of the aboveapplication are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

There are several different methods for authenticating a user context toan online service. Traditionally, online service providers havetypically relied on username and passwords for online authentication.Considering, however, the sensitive and personal information that peopleshare on the Web, relying on a single layer of password protection isnot enough.

Multi-factor authentication is an approach that has recently become morewidespread for use in online authentication systems in order to increasethe probability that a user requesting access to an online service ispresenting accurate identity authentication information. Multi-factoronline authentication typically requires a user to enter a username andpassword, as well as pass an additional identification test specified bythe online service provider.

The authentication factors generally fall within three categories:something you know, something you have, or something you are. Typicallya password is given as something you know. Each authentication factormay be required to authenticate or verify a person's identity before,for example, granting access, approving a transaction request, signing adocument or other work product, granting authority to others, orestablishing a chain of authority.

One of three general authentication categories (approaches) may includeownership factors, e.g. something the user has (e.g., wrist band, IDcard, security token, software token, phone, or cell phone). Anotherauthentication category may include knowledge factors, which may besomething the user knows (e.g., a password, pass phrase, or personalidentification number (PIN), challenge response (the user must correctlyanswer a question)). Another authentication category may includeinherence factors, which may be something the user is or does (e.g.,fingerprint, retinal pattern, DNA sequence, signature, face, voice,unique bio-electric signals, or other biometric identifier).

There has been a recent trend in online authentication to rely on SMS asa second factor to username and password for online authentication.While online banks have been using SMS-enhanced authentication fortransaction verification for sometime, more recently online businesses,which are not in regulated banking industries, have recognized the needfor stronger online authentication protocols and have been employing SMSas a second factor for authentication. Google and Facebook, for example,have recently made two-factor SMS authentication available to theirusers.

Another authentication approach is for a service provider to equip theuser with a One Time Password (OTP) device. The device generates astring of numbers that change regularly and, when combined with theuser's username and password, can be used to more securely identify theindividual requesting access to the service provider.

Another authentication approach uses a picture the user has selected.The user points to a sequence of locations on the picture which only heor she knows. This pattern cannot be as easily written down, and yet canbe more memorable than a password, thus making it potentially morereliable and user friendly than passwords.

SUMMARY

While reliable methods for online authentication exist, problems remain.Online authentication using multi-factor identification, such as SMSconfirmation, biometric fingerprints, or one-time-passwords, may bereliable, but typically lack flexibility and can present aninconvenience to both the third party online service providerimplementing the authentication process and to the user requestingaccess to the third party online service provider's services.

The type of factors required are often implemented and imposed by thethird party online service provider. Implementation of the multi-factorauthentication protocols can burden the service provider by, forexample, imposing business process reengineering of its systems, whilerequiring maintenance to continuously ensure secure implementation. Forexample, if SMS is shown someday to be unsatisfactory or becomesunavailable, all service providers who implement SMS second factor willneed to work on an alternate implementation. Further, multi-factorauthentication protocols can burden users requesting access by forcingthe users to comply with potentially rigid authentication requirementsimposed by the third party service provider.

For example, if a third party online service provider configures itssecond factor authentication to require SMS challenges, this can burdena user requesting access since the user requester has to have his or herassociated smart phone or have access to their VOIP account in order tosatisfy the authentication process. Further, even if the user requestingaccess conveniently has, for example, their respective smart phone orVOIP service executing, the authentication process takes time since therequester has to view and input the SMS password received.

Further, second factor authentication often relies on some type ofknowledge factor, which may include a knowledge based challenge,password, or something the user knows. Such knowledge factors can burdenthe user since this relies on the accuracy of the requester's memory orability to find information to help them remember. In addition,knowledge factors have shown to be particular vulnerable as securityrequires complexity and complexity is hard to remember. The more complexa knowledge factor is, the more likely it is to be written down andexposed.

In today's dynamic global environment, striking the balance betweeninformation security and ease of use in an online authenticationprotocols can mean the difference between success and failure for a newproduct or even a new company. While users want a secure onlineauthentication, they also want a versatile and convenient authenticationprocess that, preferably, requires little to no information from them tosatisfy. Although there are online authentication systems that aresecure, such systems are able to provide this increased security byimposing burdens on the user requesting access and the third partyonline service provider implementing the authentication system. Thus,users are at the mercy of the service provider's selected onlineauthentication system, and the service providers are forced to implementand maintain the system. As such, the current online authenticationschemes are unable to effectively balance strong security with usabilityand avoidance of substantial business process and system reengineering.

Moreover, the currently available online authentication models typicallyplace too much emphasis on user identification and verification. At thecenter of nearly all identification events to online service providersis the request for a username. The assumption is that the user is alwaysemploying different devices to access his or her services when in factthe market has evolved away from one of dumb terminals to the use ofsmart and very personal devices. Because a user is likely to regularlyuse the same device or devices to access a service the identity of anaccount can usually be derived. This is often done today with browsercookies. With cookies, users may enjoy the convenience of not typing ausername particularly when an online session is remembered for a givendevice and user authentication may therefore not be required. Cookies,however, are very easily compromised and, consequently, serviceproviders should not rely on them alone.

Some example embodiments of the present invention can alleviate theburdens imposed by conventional user authentication and cryptologysystems by relying on differential device identification and externalcontextual tests to perform identification. With the inventive system,the user is inconvenienced with as little interaction as possible, oronly in the ways he or she selects, and the service provider receives adegree of confidence that enables them to provide a valuable service tothe user free of hassle.

One example preferred embodiment of the present invention makes use of ahardware root of trust in a device as a first factor of identification,while also including increased flexibility by recognizing that deviceshave different features and contexts. Systems and methods can thereforebe provided that employ many diverse identification factors, someconfigurable by the user, that are rolled up into a trust score thatprovides a measure of confidence about the identity of the device.

User identification systems and methods may be provided that may reducethe vulnerability and use of passwords, while providing diverseidentification processes with improved usability and reduced businessprocess reengineering requirements. Instead of the third party onlineservice provider implementing and imposing online identificationfactors, the present system may provide online device identificationservices, which allow users to control their respective identificationprocesses for a multitude of third party online service providers. Inthis way, the user may only need to configure identification factorsonce. The present device identity system may provide a diverse range ofdevice identification options and additional context verification to beleveraged at the choice of the user(s) and/or service provider(s) usingan independent site, such as a device identity server. In this way, therigid requirements typically imposed for user identification inconventional systems can be replaced or augmented with a device identitysystem that provides differential identity tests, which considerexternal contextual tests, which may be defined, managed, and controlledby the user instead of the third party service providers in someembodiments (or by the third party service provider or by both in otherrespective embodiments).

In some embodiments, a user may select a combination of externalcontextual factors, which can be aggregated together, to produce a trustscore high enough to confidently identify a device and thereby allow thedevice access to a given third party online service provider.

In further embodiments, a third party service provider may select acombination of external contextual factors, which can be aggregatedtogether, to produce a trust score high enough to confidently identify auser's device and thereby allow the device access to its respectivethird party service(s).

The user and/or third party service provider may define the thresholdsof identification risk it requires by configuring respective trust scorethresholds for access to different levels of the third party serviceprovider's service(s).

For every user device context, such as a PC, an ID may be assigned andassigned a trust score computation for the reliability of that deviceID. For example, if the device ID is only a cookie, a low trust scoremay be assigned since cookies tend to be vulnerable to tampering. If,however, the device ID is a key held in device hardware paired with acookie, a much higher score may be assigned. The system may default toalways attempting to discover a previously assigned ID. The system mayendeavor to automatically validate a device ID through more than onefactor, when possible. Multiple factors (context verification factors)previously chosen and defined by the user when registering theirdevice(s) for use when computing a trust score.

Example context verification-factors/tests that may executed during adevice identification process may include:

-   -   a trusted ID assigned to each of the user's trusted devices        (e.g. if a device being identified has an ID that matches an ID        of a trusted device previously specified by the user, the device        can be associated with a high confidence of trust, which would        increase the resulting confidence value of this factor in the        computation of the trust score for an active device        identification session);    -   trusted physical geographic locations (e.g. a user may specify        physical geographic locations from which a trusted device is        likely to login, or the device identity server can recall        trusted geographic locations, which if satisfied in a device        identification session, can increase the confidence value of        this factor in the computation of the trust score for a device        identification session);    -   a phone number to confirm an SMS passcode (e.g. a ping to SMS or        IVR, which may include a passcode received in an SMS message, or        a call to a smartphone or IVR requesting input of certain keys        or information;    -   a camera on the device to register facial recognition or audio        input to satisfy voice recognition, (e.g. if a face detection or        voice detection match is determined, this can result in an        increased confidence value of this factor in the computation of        the trust score for a device identification session);    -   first and/or second passwords (e.g. if password match is        determined, this can result in an increased confidence value of        this factor in the computation of the trust score for an active        device identification session);    -   wearable computing, such as Google glass (e.g. if a particular        tap on the glasses matches a defined tap, which if satisfied,        can result in an increased confidence value of this factor in        the computation of the trust score for an active device        identification session);    -   HID Global Access Control (e.g. a user may pair its trusted        devices with other systems, such as a HID access control or        alarm system, which if satisfied can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   databases or contexts (e.g. compare the context of the device        that is attempting to login against other access systems, for        example, if a user associated with the device recently walked        into a building using an associated key card, and a device        associated with that user is attempting to gain access to the        network, then this can result in an increased confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for an        active device identification session);    -   QR Code—bar code (a two dimensional barcode datamatrix, which        may be detected and captured by a camera using decoding        software, which if satisfied can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   URL code embedded in an email message (if the URL is embedded in        a message and selected, this can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   a hand gesture detected by a camera on the device being        identified, which if satisfied can increase the confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for an        active device identification session;    -   a knowledge-based identification challenge (e.g. picture        password challenge is satisfied, this can result in an increase        in the confidence value of this factor in the computation of the        trust score for an active device identification session); and    -   web history (e.g. if predefined URLS or domains, which the user        frequently visits, are found in recent website history that are        substantially contemporaneous to an active device identification        session, this can result in an increase in the confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for the        subject active device identification session).

It should be noted that the above referenced examples used in contextverification tests are exemplary and not exhaustive. External contextverification tests/factors not listed above, which are well known by oneof ordinary skill in trusted computing, may be used as well.

Some example preferred embodiments may allow a user to configure theiridentity verification mechanisms such that multiple trusted devices needto be paired with the device from which the user is logging-in. Thepresentation of paired devices during an identification event canprovide increased confidence and may satisfy the trust identificationthreshold for full access to the third party online service, account,device, etc. In this way, a trust score threshold may be satisfiedwithout requiring knowledge factors for identification. By relying onpaired devices to calculate the trust score, the present embodiment canimprove usability and convenience for the user during onlineidentification without burdening the user for input. In this way,multi-factor device identification can be provided without relying onuser passwords, or other forms of knowledge factors, thus providesubstantially immediate device identification for the third party onlineservice being sought. Such immediate device identification can, forexample, facilitate identity verification for an account or a creditcard and can shorten the amount of time to complete a potential sale andthereby help increase the overall chances of completion of the purchase.

Some embodiments may provide a trusted platform configuration thatallows tiered levels of access based on the trust score determinedduring the device identification process. A user, for example, canconfigure their device identity verification settings such that certaintrust score thresholds, if satisfied during an online session, grantdifferent levels of access. For example, if the trusted platform systemdetermines that a device's trust score is 300 (instead of a 900), thenlimited access to sensitive information associated with the third partyonline service provider may be granted; whereas a trust score thresholdof 900 may be required by the user for full access to sensitiveinformation.

A third party online service provider using this system to identify auser context can be configured to request or ask for the id. Thisprocess may be transparent to the user or may require some userinteraction, such as confirming an SMS, entering a PIN or swiping afinger. The third party online service provider may only look at thetrust score provided with the returned device identifier to determinewhether it can be trusted as sufficient for a particular level ofservice.

A highly trusted identifier could be used in place of username andpassword. It could also be configured to protect particularly sensitivetransactions, such as a money transfer. However, the third party onlineservice provider can be configured such that it is not concerned withthe broad array of strong identification methods. A picture passwordplus a software key could result in a similar trust score to a certifiedhardware key.

When an id and trust score is returned, the system can also indicatewhether it believes there may be options to improve the trust scorethrough some action such as downloading software or pairing anotherdevice.

Some embodiments may include data processing systems and methodsconfigured to facilitate identification of a first device seeking tocommunicate with one or more third party online service providers. Asession handler may be configured to communicate with the first deviceto determine at least one unique identifier assigned to the device. Thesession handler may be configured to request additional contextverification from one or more of: the first device, an operator of thefirst device, or one or more other devices.

A trust scoring engine may be in communication with the session handler.The trust scoring engine may be implemented as part of a device identifyagent executing on the first device. Portions of the identity agent maybe executing from the first device, and other portions may be executingfrom the identity server. The trust scoring engine may be configured tocompute a trust score based on (i) the trustworthiness of the firstdevice unique identifier, and (ii) results from the additional contextverification.

A communication interface may be provided in which the third partyservice provider can receive the first device unique identifier and thecomputed trust score of the first device. The third party serviceprovider may respond to the receipt of the first device uniqueidentifier and the computed trust score by determining if the uniqueidentifier is associated with a trusted device, and if the trustthreshold is satisfied. If it is not satisfied, the trust scoring enginemay be configured to execute additional context verification tests untilthe threshold is satisfied or the session has ended.

Some embodiments may include data processing systems and methods thatinclude a device identity service configured to facilitate configurationof a device identity verification process. The device identity servermay be configured to compute a trust score for a first device inresponse to a request from a third party service provider. The deviceidentity service may be configured to execute, on one or more computerprocessors, a device identity verification process responsive to thethird party service provider request.

The device identity process being configured to:

-   -   determine a plurality of unique identifiers associated with the        first device, the plurality of unique identifiers being        configured for use in the computation process of the trust score        for the first device;    -   send the computed trust score and a pseudonymous id representing        the first device to the third party service provider at which a        determination is made as to whether the first trust score        computation satisfies a trust score threshold; and    -   respond to an indication from the third party service provider        that the trust score threshold has not been satisfied by        executing a multitude of additional verification tests and,        iteratively computing respective iterations of a further trust        score for the first device based on the satisfaction of the        additional verification tests, where each computed of a further        computed trust score is passed to the third party service        provider for determination as to whether it satisfies the trust        score threshold;    -   the additional verification tests being based on data obtained        from the first device, an operator of the first device, or one        or more other devices.

Systems, methods and computer program products may be provided to enablea third party to request the component factors that went intocalculating a trust score for a subject device. For example, in additionto the trust score, the third party may further request from the systemcomponent factors, such as the length of time this device has beenknown, or whether a hardware or software key was used. The type ofidentification key used, whether hardware or software, may be indicativeits reliability. The third party may use this information to makeadditional risk assessments of its own when identifying thetrustworthiness of the purported identity of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tothe same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of an example computer networkenvironment in which embodiments are deployed.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of certain components of the computer nodesin the network of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a device identification processaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1D is block diagram of a device identification process according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of an example device identification processaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of a process in which a user may registermethods of device identification according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of certain components of the computer nodes inthe network of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4A shows example weighting tables used in the computation of atrust score.

FIG. 4B is example software code for a trust score calculation function.

FIG. 5A is a sequence diagram showing an example process for enrolling anew endpoint via a relying party (third party service provider).

FIG. 5B is a screenshot of an example linking/login interface at a thirdparty service provider.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.

The web provides an enormous resource of services that are increasinglyinterwoven with social and professional lives of its users. There is,however, a gulf in the bilateral trust between user and service. A useris typically wary about whether the online service is in fact what itprofesses to be, and the online service typically needs to be diligentwhen verifying that the user is in fact the true account holder.Further, users are expected to remember passwords for all of theirrespective online services, e.g. banking, financial services, shopping,social media, email, etc. In an attempt to provide some degree ofaccount security, users manage such an army of passwords that they oftenneed to rotate and reset, as well as remember and unfortunately,sometimes forget.

Today, more and more devices interface with the web, from smartphones tocomputers and televisions. With the present invention, such devices canprovide an anchor-like attribute of trust between the user and theaccount holder. The user, for example, logs into the device and thedevice logs into the web. Users' confidence in the web will grow whenthey can ensure that only trusted devices can access their onlineservices.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide the tools formanaging trust in the cloud. Aspects of the present disclosure relate todevice identification systems and processes that may reduce thevulnerability and use of passwords, while providing diverse/differentialand flexible identification processes. FIGS. 1A-1D show examples inwhich some embodiments of the device identification system 100 may (FIG.1D) deployed.

Digital Processing Environment

Example implementations of a device identification system 100 may beimplemented in a software, firmware, or hardware environment. FIG. 1Aillustrates one such environment. Client computer(s)/devices 150 (e.g.computer, mobile phone, and video camera) and a cloud 170 (or servercomputer or cluster thereof) provide processing, storage, andinput/output devices executing application programs and the like.

Client computer(s)/devices 150 are linked through communications network170 to other computing devices, including other client devices/processes150 and server computer(s) 160. The cloud 170 can be part of a remoteaccess network, a global network (e.g., the Internet), a worldwidecollection of computers, Local area or Wide area networks, and gatewaysthat currently use respective protocols (TCP/IP, Bluetooth, etc.) tocommunicate with one another. Other electronic device/computer networkarchitectures are suitable.

Server computers 160 may be configured to provide a deviceidentification system 100 that allows a user/third party serviceprovider to specify context identification factors for use in a trustscore calculation process that provides a measure of confidence of anidentity of a device 150 from which the end user may be operating.

In one example embodiment, one or more of the servers 160 are Javaapplication servers. The Java application servers are scalable, suchthat if there are spikes in network traffic, the servers can handle theincreased load.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of any internal structure of acomputer/computing node (e.g., client processor/device/mobile phonedevice/tablet/video camera 150 or server computers 160) in theprocessing environment of FIG. 1A, which may be used to facilitatedisplaying audio, image, video or data signal information. Embodimentsof the invention may include means for displaying audio, image, video ordata signal information. Each computer 150, 160 in FIG. 1B contains asystem bus 110, where a bus is a set of actual or virtual hardware linesused for data transfer among the components of a computer or processingsystem. Bus 110 is essentially a shared conduit that connects differentelements of a computer system (e.g., processor, disk storage, memory,input/output ports, etc.) that enables the transfer of data between theelements.

Attached to system bus 110 is I/O device interface 111 for connectingvarious input and output devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch screeninterface, displays, printers, speakers, audio inputs and outputs, videoinputs and outputs, microphone jacks, etc.) to the computer 150, 160.Network interface 113 allows the computer to connect to various otherdevices attached to a network (for example the network illustrated at170 of FIG. 1A). Memory 114 provides volatile storage for computersoftware instructions 115 and data 116 used to implement softwareimplementations of components of the present inventions (e.g. deviceidentification system 100 of FIG. 1D).

Software components 114, 115 of the device identification system 100(FIGS. 1B and 4) described herein may be configured using any knownprogramming language, including any high-level, object-orientedprogramming language. The system 100 may include instances of processes,which allow third party service providers/users to configure additionalcontext verification factors for a device. The identity server mayinclude instances of a trust scoring engine 310 (FIG. 3), which can beimplemented as a client that communicates to the server 160 through SSLand computes a trust score that provides a measure of confidence aboutthe identity of a computing device 150 based on, for example,information about the device (e.g. device IDs, trusted platform module,etc.) and the additional device identity context verification settings.In some embodiments, the computing device 150 identification may beimplemented via a software embodiment and may operate, at leastpartially, within a browser session.

In an example mobile implementation, a mobile agent implementation ofthe invention may be provided. A client server environment can be usedto enable mobile security services using the device identity server 190.It can use, for example, the XMPP protocol to tether a deviceidentification agent 115 on the device 150 to a server 160. The server160 can then issue commands to the phone on request. The mobile userinterface framework to access certain components of the system 100 maybe based on XHP, Javelin and WURFL. In another example mobileimplementation for OS X and iOS operating systems and their respectiveAPIs, Cocoa and Cocoa Touch may be used to implement the client sidecomponents 115 using Objective-C or any other high-level programminglanguage that adds Smalltalk-style messaging to the C programminglanguage.

Disk storage 117 provides non-volatile storage for computer softwareinstructions 115 (equivalently “OS program”) and data 116 used toimplement embodiments of the system 100. Central processor unit 112 isalso attached to system bus 110 and provides for the execution ofcomputer instructions.

In one embodiment, the processor routines 115 and data 116 are computerprogram products, e.g. session handler 312 and trust scoring engine 310(generally referenced 115), including a computer readable medium capableof being stored on a storage device 117, which provides at least aportion of the software instructions for the device identificationsystem 100. Executing instances of respective software components of thedevice identification system 100, such as instances of trust scoringengine may be implemented as computer program products 115, and can beinstalled by any suitable software installation procedure, as is wellknown in the art. In another embodiment, at least a portion of thesystem software instructions 115 may also be downloaded over a cable,communication and/or wireless connection via, for example, a browser SSLsession or through an app (whether executed from a mobile or othercomputing device). In other embodiments, the system 100 softwarecomponents 115, may be implemented as a computer program propagatedsignal product embodied on a propagated signal on a propagation medium(e.g., a radio wave, an infrared wave, a laser wave, a sound wave, or anelectrical wave propagated over a global network such as the Internet,or other network(s)). Such carrier medium or signals provide at least aportion of the software instructions for the present deviceidentification system 100 of FIG. 1D.

Device (Endpoint) Identities

An endpoint 120 of FIG. 1C provides the link between a unique deviceidentity and Internet services, such email, banking, shopping, etc. Thedevice identification system 100 leverages technology in endpointsecurity to deliver this differential identity service to its users.Using embodiments of the device identification system, users 152 canhave confidence that only their devices 150 have access to theiraccounts with third party Internet service providers 192 (see FIG. 1D).The device identification system 100 allows the creation of a unique andpersistent device identity relationship between users and third partyonline service providers 192 (relying parties).

FIG. 1D shows an example of the device identification system 100according to an embodiment of the invention. To enhance privacy, at 181the user, via its device 150, requests access to a relying third partyservice provider (e.g. bank, email service, etc.) at whichidentification tests/factors may need to be satisfied. The relying thirdparty service provider at 182 requests the user device's ID from thedevice identity server 190, 160. It should be noted that the user'sdevice 150 may be given a unique and confidential ID for each relyingparty 192. Preferably, this device specific ID will not be known by ordisclosed to other relying parties, but will be known by the deviceidentity server 190. A user may register multiple devices 150 with thedevice identity server 190 to one account. This may be helpful, forexample, if the user logs into his/her bank from a home PC 150 at times,but uses a smart phone 150 at other times.

The device identity server 190 confirms the device identity at 194. Ifadditional user context identification is needed pursuant to the devicetests/factors and the trust score threshold settings specified by thethird party service provider (and/or user), then at 184 the deviceidentity server 190 confirms the identity of the user device usingadditional context verification tests/factors. Such tests/factors mayinclude determining whether the device is operating a Self-EncryptingDrive (SED), whether the device has been paired with another device orsystem, whether there is an SMS confirmation, whether there is amatching a biometric fingerprint, whether a correct one-time-passwordhas been entered, etc.

Once the device identity server 190 has confirmed the identity of thedevice 150, at 185, the device identity server 190 returns the ID and acalculated trust score, which indicates a confidence value regarding thedevice identification status. If the trust score does not meet a trustscore threshold required by, for example, the relying party third partyservice provider 192, the process initiates another trust scorecalculation at 186 of which additional device/user context may be neededin order to meet the trust score threshold set by the third partyservice provider 192 (and/or user). The trust score helps the relyingthird party service provider 192 determine a measure of confidence aboutthe identity of a device 150. For example if the device is using aTrusted Platform Module (TPM) to create the unique device ID, the scorewill be higher than if it is using less reliable methods, such as userdefined passwords.

Knowing and trusting the device used for web services provides hugebenefits to all parties. By relying on a high trust score calculatedfrom an independent device identity server 190, relying third partyservice providers 192 can identify the device and allow access to theirrespective services without burdening users with an authenticationprocess. Further, the third party service provider 192 can benefit fromreduced fraud from phishing and other account access attacks. Users canbenefit from increased confidence that only their devices 150 can accesstheir accounts without relying on username/password combinations toremember. In this way, a user, confident in their control of specificdevices, can have easier access to a third party service provider 192.If the third party service provider 192 is confident in the identity ofthe device 150 it can ease restrictions to access by removing passwordsor other barriers. If a third party service provider 192 is confident inthe continuity of a certain returning device 150 it can makepresumptions based on the additional context verification tests/factors.

Example Device Identification Processes

FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of one example implementation of a deviceidentification process 200 according to an embodiment of the invention.At 210, a device 150 attempts to login to a third party service providersite. At 212, the login process may be redirected to the device identityserver 190 to initiate a device identity verification process at 214 inwhich the identity of the device 150 from which a user may be attemptingto login from may be verified.

At 216, the process 200 determines whether there is device identityagent software 115 installed on the device 150. For example, if there isidentity agent software locally installed on the device, then serverside software at the identity server may connect to the device it isidentifying and, then create a session with the identity agent software.The device identity agent may be implemented in any form suitable toperform the device identification process 200. For instance, if thedevice identity agent may be implemented as a browser plug-in if thebrowser is Internet Explorer; and if the browser is Safari or GoogleChrome, the identity agent may be implemented, for instance, as a miniweb server (e.g. a Microsoft Windows service running within the controlframework of the Operating System). In mobile implementations, forexample, if the device is running an Android or iOS operating system,the identity agent may be implemented as a background service (operatingin the background, such that it continues to run even after the agentsoftware is closed by the user). The presence of the identity agentsoftware could help increase the overall calculated trust score if otherfactors are satisfied. If there is no device identity software, aninstance of the device identity software may be executed from theserver. When executed from the server, the software may have limitedcapability to query device attributes.

At 218, the process 200 detects whether there is a trusted platformmodule on the device. For example, the process 200 may send a message tothe identity agent software to determine whether a trusted-platformmodule is present. If no trusted platform module is detected, theprocess may search the device 150 for a device/hardware based ID orsoftware key at 220. The presence of a trusted-platform module and atrusted device based ID may substantially increase the calculated trustscore.

A multitude of device and software IDs (unique identifiers) may be usedto facilitate the device identification process 200. Each type of ID,whether device or software based, may be scored according to type of IDor according to the method used to assign that ID. For instance, duringa registration process to register a trusted device (e.g. FIGS. 2B and5A), the device 150 may be assigned a software ID. For example, thiscould be done using a cookie, which would result in a low score for thisfactor, or with a key held in device hardware, such as a trustedplatform module chip, resulting in a much higher score. Device identitysettings may be configured such that in order to receive a trust scorewith a high confidence value, the user may need to be operating from atrusted device 150 having a hardware device ID or trusted software IDthat the process 200 verifies as being previously being previouslyregistered.

Through this unique identifier information gathering procedure, theprocess 150 preferably determines a handful of identifiers, which areused at 222 to compute an aggregated weighting score to establish thetrust level for device 150. Each one of the additional contextverification tests/factors has a respective ranking and weight, whichcorrespond to a measure of trust associated with that test/factor.

The applicable device ID tests that are satisfied, may be aggregated,and the process 200 may divide the aggregated total by the number ofavailable factors at 224. The trust score may be passed to the thirdparty service provider to determine if the trust score threshold issatisfied at 226.

Preferably, the process 200 endeavors to automatically validate an IDthrough more than one test/factor method, when possible. Multiplefactors may be used to calculate the trust score for the device'spurported identity. For example, in one preferred secure embodiment, adevice identity test may include confirmation of the user's deviceagainst two different cell phones. If the device 150 the user is loggingin from is assigned a trust score that the third party service providerdetermines satisfies the threshold at 226, the presumption is that theenvironment is secure; and at 228, the third party service providerhandles the process.

In one example embodiment, the third party service provider may onlyrequire that a matching returned device identifier be required tosatisfy the trust score threshold for a particular level of service.

If the third party service provider determines at 226 that thecalculated trust score does not pass the trust score threshold, then at230, additional context verification tests/factors may be executed totry to increase the calculated trust score. The process 200 mayiteratively execute a series of additional context verificationtests/factors until the trust score threshold has been met. For example,the initial trust score calculation at 224 may be based on one or moredevice IDs (e.g. software or hardware based IDs). If the third partyservice provider determines that the trust score threshold has not beenmet, then additional context verification tests may be executed and newtrust scores may be computed and passed to the third party serviceprovider until the third party service provider determines that thethreshold has been met or until the session with the device has beenclosed.

It should be noted that a third party service provider (or user) mayrequire that additional identification tests be met in order to satisfythe trust score threshold even if highly ranked primary identificationfactors (e.g. device ID tests) are satisfied, such as a matching deviceID is extracted from a trusted platform module on the device. Forexample, additional context verification factors may be required,depending on the settings specified, in order to obtain access toparticularly sensitive services provided by the relying party (thirdparty service provider). Further, if the primary factors (e.g. first,second, third . . . ranked factors) are not met, or if only one of theprimary factors is satisfied, then additional context verification testsmay be processed at 230 to try to improve the device's trust scorecalculation.

Therefore, the third party service provider 192 (and/or user 152) mayconfigure device identification process so that a calculated trust scoresatisfies a trust score threshold only if both primary multifactor testsare met as well as additional context verification tests are satisfied.Such additional context verification tests may be required to meet thetrust score threshold imposed by the third party service provider 192.

The additional trust score context verification tests may require thatthe user be contacted, that knowledge factors may be imposed, etc. Forinstance, example additional external additional context verificationfactors that, if satisfied, may improve the trust score for the deviceidentification session may. Such additional context verificationtests/factors may include:

-   -   a trusted ID assigned to each of the user's trusted devices        (e.g. if a device being identified has an ID that matches an ID        of a trusted device previously specified by the user, the device        can be associated with a high confidence of trust, which would        increase the resulting confidence value of this factor in the        computation of the trust score for an active device        identification session);    -   trusted physical geographic locations (e.g. a user may specify        physical geographic locations from which a trusted device is        likely to login, or the device identity server can recall        trusted geographic locations, which if satisfied in a device        identification session, can increase the confidence value of        this factor in the computation of the trust score for a device        identification session);    -   a phone number to confirm an SMS passcode (e.g. a ping to SMS or        IVR, which may include a passcode received in an SMS message, or        a call to a smartphone or IVR requesting input of certain keys        or information;    -   a camera on the device to register facial recognition or audio        input to satisfy voice recognition, (e.g. if a face detection or        voice detection match is determined, this can result in an        increased confidence value of this factor in the computation of        the trust score for a device identification session);    -   first and/or second passwords (e.g. if password match is        determined, this can result in an increased confidence value of        this factor in the computation of the trust score for an active        device identification session);    -   wearable computing, such as Google glass (e.g. if a particular        tap on the glasses matches a defined tap, which if satisfied,        can result in an increased confidence value of this factor in        the computation of the trust score for an active device        identification session);    -   HID Global Access Control (e.g. a user may pair its trusted        devices with other systems, such as a HID access control or        alarm system, which if satisfied can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   databases or contexts (e.g. compare the context of the device        that is attempting to login against other access systems, for        example, if a user associated with the device recently walked        into a building using an associated key card, and a device        associated with that user is attempting to gain access to the        network, then this can result in an increased confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for an        active device identification session);    -   QR Code—bar code (a two dimensional barcode datamatrix, which        may be detected and captured by a camera using decoding        software, which if satisfied can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   URL code embedded in an email message (if the URL is embedded in        a message and selected, this can result in an increased        confidence value of this factor in the computation of the trust        score for an active device identification session);    -   a hand gesture detected by a camera on the device being        identified, which if satisfied can increase the confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for an        active device identification session;    -   a knowledge-based identification challenge (e.g. picture        password challenge is satisfied, this can result in an increase        in the confidence value of this factor in the computation of the        trust score for an active device identification session); and    -   web history (e.g. if predefined URLS or domains, which the user        frequently visits, are found in recent website history that are        substantially contemporaneous to an active device identification        session, this can result in an increase in the confidence value        of this factor in the computation of the trust score for the        subject active device identification session).

It should be noted that the above listing is not an exhaustive list and,thus, any additional context verification test/factor specified by theuser/third party service provider or known to one of ordinary skill intrusted computing may be tested as part of the trust score calculationprocess.

Further, the resulting trust score may be decreased if certain negativefactors are present. For example, if device being identified has beenreported lost or stolen, then the trust score may be decreased. Further,if the device is not operating from its usual geographic location, thenthe trust score may be decreased. The user could negate this byconfiguring their device identity settings so that the device identityserver is aware that he/she will be traveling to a new location.

Another example negative factor that may be used to decrease the trustscore is if there have been changes to the BIOS of the device 1500. SCAPscanning processes may be initiated to confirm nothing has beencomprised at the device 150.

It should be noted that default values may be assigned to eachtest/factor for use during the factor aggregation process for the trustscore calculation. Further, third party service provider (or the user)may assign values associated with each test/factor. For example, if thedevice 150 is not paired with other devices, the device 150 can beassigned a lower trust score (e.g. 300). The tests/factors (e.g. deviceID and additional context verification test/factors) as well as negativetests/factors may be aggregated to provide a resulting trust score(confidence value).

Initializing Additional Device Identity Context Verification Factors

FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of an initialization process 252 in which auser may register his/her trusted devices as well as select methods ofdevice identification, including additional context verification tests,according to an embodiment. The device identification server 190, forexample, may provide an online interface enabling the user to specifytheir respective additional context verification settings for aregistered trusted device. For instance, a secure browser session may beprovided via the device identity server 190 to facilitate a secureconnection between a device to be registered 150 from which the user isoperating from. A registration process to facilitate registration of atrusted device may be initiated to provide logical interface tofacilitate the registration setup so that the user can register his/hertrusted devices and specify additional context verification factors withthe device identity server 190.

At 254, for example, from a computing device 150, a user may access thedevice identity server 190 to register trusted device(s). Forregistration, the user may select the device(s) that the user considersto be trusted from which the user expects to access third party serviceprovider services/systems. Preferably, at 256 the process 252 assigns adevice ID to each registered trusted device.

In one embodiment, the process 252 may assign a multitude of identifiersto the device 150. For example, if the device includes a trustedplatform module chip, the process 252 assigns an identifier that isanonymous and stores the ID in the trusted platform module chip. The IDis also stored at the device identity server 190. In another example, anID may be stored in a cookie on the device 150. For the cookie, a randomstring is generated and stored in the cookie. A further method ofestablishing a unique identifier is to generate a key PAIR, and test keypair (cryptographic nonce), encrypted with PGP. If the device has atrusted platform module, then the trusted platform module will bedirected to generate the key. If there is no hardware root of trust,then the key pair is stored in a key file on the operating system.

When assigning an ID to the device 150 or verifying its identity, theprocess 252 may also consider other factors to verify the identity ofthe device for future identification. For example, a Unique Device ID(UDID) or an associated media access control (MAC) address, or otherdevice specific identity information that is substantially static.Generally, the UDID is a 40-character string assigned to certaindevices, including Apple devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPodTouch. While Android phones have a UDID, it may not necessarily bestatic since the UDID can be reset using a factory reset option.

If the device 150 is associated with a communications carrier, e.g. acell phone service provider, the process 252 may extract the IP addressfrom the device, and send that IP address to the communications carrier.The communications carrier may respond by checking in a lookup table toconfirm whether there is an associated SIM card number with that IPaddress, and then assert back an UDID, that is unique and anonymous ID,which is then recorded by the device identity server 190. The deviceidentity server 190 records the association between the UDID and thedevice being registered.

The device identity server 190 maintains a mapping table and assigns adifferent anonymous ID for each third party servicer provider account192 associated with the device 150. By providing different IDs fordifferent third party service providers, the process 252 can helpprevent the third party service providers from colluding anddetermining, for example, which online accounts/services are associatedwith a particular device. Any one identifier, cookie, key exchangeprovides the system 100 with a multitude of attributes in the device'sbrowser forensics (OS, version of browser, screen size), which can becombined by the device identity server 190 to compute up with a uniqueID that is a concoction of numbers. Each device 150 may have a pluralityof different IDs. One device 150 may have different keys and severaldifferent IDs. During the verification process of FIG. 2A, if most ofthe assigned keys and IDs three are correct (e.g. two out of three),then there is a high probability that the device is the registereddevice. However, if only one of them are correct, than it may not be thesame device.

In another example, if the device 150 is a cell phone, for example,depending on the type of mobile phone, a Telephony-based ID may bedetermined from the device (or from a SIM card associated with thedevice). Those skilled in the art would know about the various lookupcalls that can be used to obtain such device IDs. For instance, thefollowing example method calls may be used on an Android phone:

TM.getDeviceId( ); TelephonyManager.getDeviceId( );TelephonyManager.getSimSerialNumber( );TM.getDeviceId( );

A MAC address may be used to help identify the mobile device 150. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate how to retrieve such information. Forexample, on an Android phone, the WiFi adapter's MAC address may bequeried using:

WifiManager wm=(WifiManager)Ctxt.getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);return wm.getConnectionInfo( ).getMacAddress( );

Such device ID approaches may not be sufficient for a high trust score.Certain embodiments of the invention enable additional tests appropriateto the hardware and environmental context to increase the trust scorethreshold.

When a user is configuring his/her respective trust score requirements,at 258, the user can choose the collection of additional tests that needto be met. The user can select a combination of tests that can besatisfied without user input, such as without having to touch akeyboard. A user 152 may, for example, specify that his/her trust scoreshould be increased if the device 150 from which they are attempting toaccess the third party online service provider 192 is successfullypaired with another device 150 or with another action.

For example, the user may configure their respective device identityverification settings so that the device identity server 190 needs toverify that the device 150 has been paired with other trusted devices inorder to receive a trust score that satisfies the trust score threshold.When the device identity server 190 attempts to identify a device 150that has added a secondary identity service as an additional contextverification factor, it will first collect the device ID as normal, butthen call the secondary service/server with that ID before it calculatesthe trust score. If the second server comes back with a negativeresponse indicating that the ID could not be verified (e.g. a NOresponse), the trust score may be unchanged and the deviceidentification process may continue. If, however, the secondaryservice/server replies with a positive response indicating that the IDcould be verified (e.g. a YES response), then the trust score isadjusted by a pre-established amount and the process continues.

If the device 150 is paired with a mobile phone, e.g. an SMS sent to theregistered phone number, the user will have to reply to the SMS tocontinue, unless the user has configured his/her identity settings sothat additional testing is required to increase the calculated trustscore during the device identification process.

Further, the user could configure his/her identity settings so that apicture password in combination a matching software key could result ina high trust score calculation (similar to a high score associated witha certified matching hardware key).

The trust score may be an integer ranging from 0-1000 representing howconfident the device identity server 190 is in the reliability andcontinuity of the device's identity. If a trust score is calculated as alow value that does not meet the trust score threshold, the user canconfigure their identity settings so that in this situation the systemresponds by providing other options to improve the trust score throughsome action, such as downloading software or pairing another device.

In this way, the user 152 can proactively add a multitude of contextverification tests/factors to their respective trust score settings, sothat he/she can make it easier to manually increase their trust scoreduring a device identification session. For example, the user 152 canconfigure their respective identity settings so that a device'sresulting trust score can be improved during the trust score calculationprocess. For instance, if the device from which the user is logging-infrom is successfully pair with other devices that are preregisteredduring the initial trust score settings configuration process, this canimprove the overall trust score calculation. Example devices that can bepre-registered with the device identity server 190 may include mobiledevices, IVR systems, wearable computing devices, HID Global NFC AccessControl systems, cameras, etc. Further context verification tests thatmay be defined include: a second password, databases or additionalsystem checks (checks against other access systems using trusted keycards), receipts of QR Code—bar code (URL code embedded in a message),facial recognition, camera on trusted device that can be used inconnection with, for example, matching algorithms to match hand gestureor picture password input that may be drawn in real-time on a deviceinterface or captured by the camera. It should be noted that the abovelisting is not an exhaustive list and, thus, additional contextverification tests/factors specified by the service provider, user orincluded as a default systems setting for the device identificationserver, may part of the trust score calculation process (if needed toimprove the trust score).

The device identification factors (e.g. device ID and additional contextverification factors) may be aggregated to provide a resulting trustscore (confidence value). The third party servicer provider (or user)can assign the trust score weights (values) associated with each deviceidentity factor test. For example, if the device 150 is not paired withother devices, the device 150 can be assigned a lower trust score (e.g.300).

At 260, further additional context verification test/factors may bespecified to help improve a future trust score computation process. Suchadditional context verification tests/factors may include the presenceof anti-virus software, a managed self-encrypting drive, or a well-knownIP address.

At 262, factors may be specified that can decrease the trust score. Forexample, the user can configure their respective device identitysettings so that the trust score may be decreased if certain negativefactors are present, e.g. if the device is not operating from predefinedtrusted geographical locations, then the trust score should bedecreased. The user could negate this by configuring their trust scoresettings so that the system 100 is aware that he/she will be travelingto a new location.

At 264, the user can configure their identity settings so that tiered orprogressive access privileges to a subject third party service providerare permitted based on different trust score calculation ranges orthresholds. For example, the user may specify that a trust scorethreshold of 900 is required in order to receive full account access.Even at a lower trust score, the user can configure their identitysettings for third party online service(s) so that different levels ofaccess/capabilities are provided at different trust score tiers. Forexample, at a lower trust score, the user can configure his/her identitysettings so that the device 150 may successfully login to the thirdparty service provider, but may have fewer capabilities. The user canconfigure their respective identity settings for a specific third partyservice provider so the device will have access to fewer capabilities.In this way, a user can configure his/her identity settings so thattiered access is available to different trust score calculations.

It should be noted that while the trust score computation configurationprocess set forth in FIG. 2B is discussed generally in the context asbeing performed by a user, some if not all of the processes in FIG. 2Bmay be performed by a third party service provider. Preferably, thethird party service provider specifies a default trust score computationprocess that relies on any number of tests, but third party serviceprovider may allow the user some agility in the configuration. Further,once the user has registered his/her trusted endpoint devices with thedevice identity server and specified his/her additional contextverification tests/factors, no further configuration may be needed fordevice identity verification. Unless, for example, a particularrequesting party (third party service provider) requires additionalrequirements to satisfy a higher trust score threshold.

Trust Score Calculation Examples

A trust score can be computed based on a number of factors. Preferably,the trust score is calculated based on a multitude of additionaltests/factors associated with the device, such as the device's ID, aswell as a range of additional context verification factors, the device'soperating context and capabilities, etc.

Referring, for example, to FIG. 4A, example weighting tables 400 used inan embodiment of the computation of a trust score are shown. In thisexample, each of the factors are assigned a weight. The trust scoringengine 310 determines whether a factor 412 is present, and if it ispresent, it is included in the aggregated total. The trust scoringengine 310 looks to the factor with the highest weighting assigned toit, and designates it as the “first factor”, while the factor with thenext associated highest weight is designated the “second factor,” andthe process continues in a similar manner for third, forth . . .factors.

In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the trust score calculation is 648.Unitless weighting factors 412 are provided, which may include, forexample, continuity factors, such as whether the device's registrationis old/new 412. If, for example, the user successfully used the sameregistered device identity for more than a year, this suggests that thedevice identity may be more reliable. Application weightings 404 may beassigned that signify the importance of the respective factors 402 inrelation to the overall trust score computation. While the trust scorefactors involved in the computation shown in FIG. 4A relate generally tothe device state 406, additional external contextual tests arepreferably considered in the trust score computation. Preferably, forexample, tests/factors beyond the environment of the device 150 areconsidered, such as wearable computing, SMS confirmation, knowledgetests, etc.

Example Third Party Service Provider Integration

The trust score is used by the third party service provider to weigh thereliability of the device requesting access. A third party serviceprovider may integrate the trust score computation processes provided bydevice identity server 190 into their respective login process. Forexample, in a website implementation, a third party service provider canintegrate the trust score calculation by adding JavaScript code into itsHTML page. The html code below provides a non-limiting exampleimplementation that will fetch the device ID record from the user device150 and pass information to the third party service provider 192 aboutthe device's identity and calculated trust score.

<html> <head> <scriptsrc=“https://id.wave.com/libs/jsi/0.1.0/knowd.min.js”></script> <script>function getId( ) { knowd.identify(function (device) { alert(“device idis “+device.id+” and trust score is ”+device.score); }); } </script></head> <body onload=“getId”> </body> </html>

One example expected use case is where the third party serviceprovider's web page would save the devices ID with the current user'saccount and test for a match when the user returns. This could be usedto bypass future logins or to satisfy an additional context verificationtest/factor. Preferably, the device ID is considered as a primaryfactor.

In this way, the trust score can be used as a threshold to determinewhen to give the user special privileges (e.g. not typing a password)based on the relative sensitivity value of the data provided at thethird party online service provider 192. For example, a site providingcustomized weather would likely need a very a low trust score threshold.A banking site, on the other hand, may provide read only access evenwith a high trust score, but additionally require a user PIN forexecuting transactions.

Example Device Enrolling Session

FIG. 5A is a use case diagram 500 showing an example registrationprocess for enrolling a new endpoint (user device) via a relying party(third party service provider). At 502, the new endpoint/device 150loads the webpage from the third party service provider. At 504, theregistration process 504, redirects to the registration session with thedevice identity server. At 506, the user is prompted to download thedevice identify agent software (end point connector) 115. At 508, oncethe device identify agent software (end point connector) 115 isinstalled, and launched, it establishes an SSL session with the deviceidentity server via a WebSocket connection (with server side SSL). At510, the device identify agent software (end point connector) 115 sendsa key to the device identity server (or registration server), and if at512 the keys match, the registry issues a unique ID to the deviceidentify agent software (end point connector) 115 via the WebSocketconnection. The device identity server compares the keys received viathe SSL session and WebSocket connection, and if they match, the deviceidentity server issues a unique ID (e.g. cryptographic nonce) for thedevice.

Display Integration Options

FIG. 5B is a screenshot of an example communication interface 550 at athird party service provider. A login option 552 is included to executethe device identity identification process. For example, third partyservice provides may integrate the device identification process in awebsite frame by including method calls in their website code. Makingthe identification process visible on the website may give the end-userinformation that can provide the user with additional confidence in theservice provider.

In a non-limiting example, a method call such as knowd.setParentElement() may be used to have the identification process display in a frame. Theexample method takes two arguments:

element—pointer to a DOM object that will be the parent of the displayframe. For example, document.getElementById(“knowdContainer”).

displayType—one of the following type selections:

knowd.NONE—no display. By not invoking setParentElement, display ishidden by default. So this option is unnecessary.

knowd.SMALLVIEW—display the identification frame in a 50×50 pixel viewport (this is the default if the argument is null)

knowd.LARGEVIEW—display the identification frame in a 120×120 pixel viewport

knowd.TAG—display the identification frame in a 20×20 pixel view port

For example, Function getId( ) {

knowd.setParentElement(document.getElementById(“knowdContainer”),knowd.LARGEVIEW);

knowd.identify(function (device) { // got device.id }); }Trust Scoring Analytics

Information related to additional context verification test/factors usedin the calculation of a trust score, including information regardingwhich tests/factors are successfully applied versus those that wereprocessed but were not successfully applied can be used to improve thequality of the trust scoring engine. For example, an analytics tool(such as a web analytics tool or BI tool) may produce various metricssuch as measures of additional context verification factor/test successbased on the combination of other criteria (e.g. environment variablesassociated with the device being identified), and filter these resultsby time of the day or time period or location. Such measures can beviewed per test/factor to help improve the trust scoringengine/agent/tool because the results may be aggregated across amultitude of devices, users, and third party service providers.

An analytics tool offers the possibility of associating otherquantitative data beside frequency data with a successful test/factorapplication. For instance, the results of a high trust score calculationcould be joined against the metrics derived by an analytics system (suchas a web analytics solution or a business intelligence solution).

Furthermore, analytics data for a calculated trust score for a devicecan be aggregated per type of device. For example, it could be ofinterest to know which types of tests/factors are most or leastconducive to a high trust score calculation, or on the contrary, appliedto a low trust score calculation.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described withreferences to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the scope of the inventionencompassed by the appended claims. For example, while pseudo code maybe provided herein, it is included for illustrative purposes only and isnot intended to limit inventive scope. Further, while specific exampleadditional context verification tests/factors are described herein,those of ordinary skill in the field of trusted computing willappreciate that such additional context verification tests/factors areexemplary and similar context verification tests/factors are applicableand encompassed by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method to facilitate identification of a firstdevice seeking to communicate with one or more online service providers,the method comprising: communicating, via a session handler, with thefirst device; determining at least one unique identifier assigned to thedevice; requesting, via the session handler, additional contextverification from one or more of: the first device, an operator of thefirst device, or one or more other devices, wherein each uniqueidentifier has a respective value indicative of a representative levelof trust associated with that unique identifier, the respective valuebeing configured for use as part of the trust score computation by thetrust scoring engine; with a trust scoring engine, in communication withthe session handler: computing a trust score based on (i) thetrustworthiness of the first device unique identifier, and (ii) resultsfrom the additional context verification; determine which, if any, ofmultiple thresholds of identification risk the trust score exceeds,wherein each threshold represents a level of identification risk; and ifthe trust score exceeds at least one of the thresholds of theidentification risk, determining a level of access to provide the firstdevice access to an online service of the one or more online serviceproviders that corresponds to the least restrictive identification riskthreshold level exceeded by the trust factor; and providing the one ormore online service providers the first device unique identifier and thecomputed trust score of the first device.
 2. The method as in claim 1wherein if the one or more online service providers responds to receiptof the device unique identifier and computed trust score with a messageindicating that the calculated trust score did not satisfy a trust scorethreshold, with the trust scoring engine further: responding byexecuting a process that attempts to provide an increased trust scorecomputation.
 3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the process thatattempts to provide an increased trust score computation includesiteratively processing further additional context verification tests. 4.The method as in claim 1 wherein a multitude of unique identifiersassociated with the first device are determined, where each uniqueidentifier has a respective value indicative of a representative levelof trust associated with that unique identifier, the respective valuebeing configured for use as part of the trust score computation by thetrust scoring engine.
 5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the uniqueidentifiers are hardware based or software based, the trust scoringengine further: assigning a greater respective value to a hardware basedidentifier relative to a respective value assigned to a software basedidentifier.
 6. The method as in claim 5 wherein if one of the uniqueidentifiers is a cryptographic key based identifier, the trust scoringengine further: assigning a greater respective value to thecryptographic key based identifier.
 7. The method as in claim 4 whereinif one of the unique identifiers is a browser cookie identifier, thetrust scoring engine further: assigning a lower respective value to thebrowser cookie identifier.
 8. The method as in claim 1 wherein theadditional context verification from the first device further includesone or more of the following environmental variables about the device:presence of anti-virus software; whether the first device is a managedself-encrypting drive; whether the first device is operating from awell-known IP address; or an amount of time that the first device hasbeen registered.
 9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the amount of timethat the first device has been registered is based on the amount of timethat the first device has been registered with a device identity server.10. The method as in claim 8 wherein the amount of time that the firstdevice has been registered is based on the amount of time that at leastone of the unique identifiers used in the trust score calculation hasbeen assigned to the first device.
 11. The method as in claim 8 furtherincludes: a device identity server, in communication with the firstdevice, configured to execute at least portions of the trust scoringengine; and the first device identity server configured to communicatewith the one or more online service providers via the communicationinterface.
 12. The method as in claim 1 wherein the additional contextverification from the first device further includes satisfaction of ageographic test, the trust scoring engine further: assigning a greaterconfidence value in response to satisfying the geographical test when adetermined geographical location from which the first device isoperating matches a trusted geographic location associated with thefirst device.
 13. The method as in claim 1 wherein the additionalcontext verification from an operator of the device further includessatisfaction of biometrics test configured to determine whether matchingbiometrics information is received.
 14. The method as in claim 1 whereinthe additional context verification from an operator of the devicefurther includes satisfaction of a facial recognition test configured todetermine whether an input facial image matches a trusted facial image.15. The method as in claim 1 wherein the additional context verificationfrom an operator of the device further includes satisfaction of a voicerecognition test configured to determine whether an input voice samplesatisfies a trusted voice sample.
 16. The method as in claim 1 whereinthe additional context verification from an operator of the devicefurther includes determining whether an object in an input image matchesa trusted object.
 17. The method as in claim 1 wherein the additionalcontext verification from an operator of the device further includessuccessful confirmation of receipt of a URL code embedded in a message.18. The method as in claim 1 wherein the additional context verificationfrom an operator of the device further includes successful confirmationof receipt of a onetime password.
 19. The method as in claim 1 whereinthe additional context verification from an operator of the devicefurther includes successful confirmation of a knowledge-basedidentification challenge.
 20. The method as in claim 1 wherein theadditional context verification from one or more other devices furtherincludes one or more of: a successful pairing with a trusted device;successful SMS confirmation via a trusted device; successful IVRconfirmation via a trusted device; successful HID Global NFC AccessControl verification; or successful verification via trusted wearablecomputing.